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Friday, June 29, 2012

World War II African-American Marines Receive

Congressional Gold Medal

By Terri Moon CronkAmerican Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON,
June 28, 2012 - A group of African-American Marines who broke the Marine
Corps' color barrier during World War II received the Congressional
Gold Medal at a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol yesterday.

The medal
is the nation's highest civilian award given by Congress. The "Montford
Point Marines" received the award for serving with valor during the
war, even as they were subjected to discrimination.

In 1942, when
President Franklin D. Roosevelt allowed African-Americans to join the
Marine Corps, they were not sent to the traditional boot camps. Instead,
this group of Marines was segregated and completed basic training at
Montford Point on Camp Lejeune, N.C.

"African-Americans were not
allowed to serve in any wars until World War II in 1942," said William
McDowell, a former Montford Point Marine who accepted the medal on
behalf of his fellow Marines and family members in Emancipation Hall at
the Capitol. "Unfortunately it took a world war to make it happen, but
it happened. I don't think any of us ever imagined that something like
this would ever happen in our lifetime."

McDowell said it was a
"privilege and an honor to stand before [the audience] and receive the
Congressional Gold Medal for [them] and 18,700 other brothers who served
this nation and the corps, with courage and commitment. This award
belongs to them because collectively, [we] did what we thought was
impossible ... [and] made history."

Several congressional leaders
also addressed the audience. California Rep. Nancy Pelosi, House
minority leader, spoke of the Montford Point Marines' toughness and
determination.

"In the time of these Marines – in an age of
inequality – breaking the color barrier in the Marine Corps took nothing
less than perseverance, patriotism and courage of extraordinary
proportions," she said.

Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, Senate
minority leader, noted that many of the Montfort Marines seized the
opportunity to defend their country in combat.

"Restricted to
training for support roles, African-American Marines had to wait for
their chance to prove themselves on the battlefield. But the chance
finally came in the Pacific Theater, where many saw combat in some of
the bloodiest battles of World War II, including Iwo Jima, Saipan and
Okinawa, and carried out their duties with great courage and heroism,"
he said.

Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, Senate majority leader, told the
audience that while the African-American Marines fought for the rights
of others overseas, the injustice of discrimination still prevailed on
their home fronts.

"They were trained to fight injustice
overseas; meanwhile, they suffered discrimination every day," he said.
"They were trained to fight tyranny abroad, while their friends and
family suffered oppression here at home ... Although they were assigned
support roles in the Pacific Theater, many had the chance to prove
themselves in battle as well ... Some cleaned up the ash after the bomb
was dropped over Nagasaki."

House Speaker Rep. John Boehner of Ohio said African-Americans gained respect as full-fledged Marines.

"Letting
[African-Americans] serve in the Marine Corps was called an experiment
... which didn't last very long," Boehner said. "Toward the end of the
war, the Marine Corps commandant said the experiment was over, [and]
that the men who trained at Montford Point were 'Marines, period.'"